(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector with a holder prevented from coming-off and, more specifically, to a connector with a rear holder prevented from coming-off, in which terminals having a wire are inserted in a connector housing of the connector, a waterproof packing is mounted therein, the rear holder presses the waterpoof packing, and the terminals are doubly locked by a side spacer.
(2) Description of the Related Art
FIG. 18 illustrates a conventional connector 81 having a rear holder 85.
The connector 81 consists of a connector housing 82 made of synthetic resin, a plate-shaped waterproof packing (sealing member) 84 made of synthetic rubber, which is fit into a rear opening 83 of the connector housing 82 in a condition that terminals (not shown in the figure) having a wire are inserted into the connector housing 82, and the rear holder 85 made of synthetic resin, which is fixed on the rear of the connector housing 82 in order to prevent the waterproof packing 84 from coming off from the connector housing 82.
At each sidewall of the connector housing 82, there are formed a guiding projection 86 and a locking projection 87 for mating with the rear holder 85. The rear holder 85 is formed in a rectangular frame-shape, at each side of which a locking frame 88 engaging with the locking projection 87 is formed protrudingly forward. The waterproof packing 84 has a plurality of insertion holes 89, into which each wire (not shown in the figure) is inserted to be appressed therein.
There is a known construction, in which each waterproof rubber stopper (sealing member) is fit to the respective terminal receiving chamber of the connector housing 82 instead of the palte-shaped waterproof packing 84 and each rear holder (not shown in the figure) having a plate-shape presses the respective waterproof rubber stopper. There is also a known construction, in which shafts for locking terminals are protrudingly formed from a rear holder so that the terminals inserted in a connector housing are doubly locked together with locking lances (not shown in the figure) of the connector housing. Furthermore, there is a known construction, in which a connector housing is provided with a front holder.
However, as to these conventional connectors with the rear holder, when some external force is applied to the rear holder 85 after the assembly of the rear holder 85, there is some anxiety that the locking of the rear holder 85 might be unexpectedly released resulting in coming off of the rear holder 85. In this case, for example, the waterproof packing 84 or the waterproof rubber stopper comes off from the connecter housing due to the vibration during the traveling of a vehicle or the locking of the terminals by the rear holder is released. In addition, when the rear holder 85 is incompletely locked into the connector housing 82 (i.e. when the assembly of the rear holder 85 is incomplete), the rear holder 85 easily comes off from the connector housing 82, therefore a measure for securely detecting the incomplete assembly of the rear holder 85 has been desired in order to prevent such a problem from occurring.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to solve the above problem and to provide a connector with a holder prevented from coming-off, whereby the unexpected breakaway of the holder from the connector housing can be securely prevented from occurring and the incomplete assembly of the holder with the connector housing can be securely detected.
In order to attain the above objective, the present invention is to provide a connector with a holder prevented from coming-off, comprising: a connector housing; a holder mounted on a surface of the connector housing; a spacer inserted into the middle of the connector housing from a direction crossing at right angles with the mounting direction of the holder; a locking member protrudingly formed to the holder; a locking part for locking formed to the locking member; and an engaging part for engaging with the locking part formed to the spacer, wherein the engaging part engages with the locking part when the holder is completely mounted.
The engaging part can abut on the locking member when the holder is incompletely mounted.
The locking member includes a locking plate, the locking part is a notched hole or a hole part, and the engaging part is a locking projection.
The locking member is inserted into the connector housing.
The engaging part is formed in a hole part of the spacer and the locking member can enter into the hole part of the spacer.
The locking member is situated in the vicinity of an inner wall surface of a vacancy of the connector housing so as to abut on the inner wall surface when the engaging part presses the locking member.
A sealing member is appressed between the holder and the connector housing.
The connector further comprises provisional locking means formed to the holder and complete locking means formed to the spacer, wherein the locking member and the engaging part face rectangularly with each other when the holder and the spacer are in a respective provisionally locked state, the engaging part faces the locking part when the holder is in a completely locked state and the spacer is in a provisionally locked state, and the engaging part engages with the locking part when the holder and the spacer are in a respective completely locked state.